If the Sharks were supposed take the next step
in their development, someone needs to tell them that it was supposed to be a
forward step. Kicking off a 3-game road trip in Los Angeles, the Sharks bumbled
their way to their 3rd straight loss. The Kings were ripe for the picking,
having struggled out of the gate. They used the Sharks as tonic, righting their
own ship in 7-2 shellacking. Adrian Kempe recorded a hat trick and Artemi
Panerin added 4 assists in the lop-sided win.
The much younger Sharks
looked smaller, slower and less physical in comparison to a Kings team that has
more experienced players. San Jose played a passive style that allowed the
Kings to dictate play all night. When the Sharks did attempt to push back, the
Kings would answer and send the Sharks packing.
The Kings wasted no
time jumping the Sharks. Kempe scored the first of this 2 goals just 1:23 into
the game. Panerin gained control of the puck in his own end then saw Kempe slip
past Jacob Trouba in the neutral zone. Panerin sent a long pass up ice to Kempe
who walked in on Yaroslav Askarov and lifted one past the Sharks goaltender for
his 4th goal of the season.
Kempe made it 2-0 Kings with just under 4
minutes remaining in the period with a one-time chance from the bottom of the
right circle. Los Angeles moved the puck well, forcing Askarov to adjust from
side to side. Erik Gustafsson set up the goal with a diagonal pass through the
slot to Kempe who wound up on the shot.
San Jose made things
exponentially more difficult late in the period when Tyler Toffoli was whistled
for tripping. The Kings made the situation by scoring on a shot from the low
slot. Panerin setup Quinton Byfield with a shot pass from the left side after
the Kings forward parked himself 10 feet in front of the Sharks goal mouth.
Byfield one-timed Panerin's feed with a shot that Askarov had no chance of
stopping.
San Jose tried to counter attack to start the 2nd period.
They played an up-tempo pace that backed the Kings up on their heels. Joel
Armia took a hooking penalty at 3:43 to setup the Sharks 3rd power play of the
contest.
Macklin Celebrini used the man advantage to his benefit when
he skated a feed to the high slot than used a screen out front to snap a puck
past Darcy Kuemper for his 6th goal of the season. The tally snapped a 6-game
goalless streak for the Sharks captain.
Any idea of a comeback was quickly squashed by the
Kings.
Erik Haula helped Los Angeles regain their 3-goal lead at 11:10
after he grabbed a puck in front of the net and lifted a backhand chance past
Askarov for his 3rd goal of the season. The lack of any defensive
responsibility allowed Haula to walk in on Askarov, who was dead to rights on
the play.
Kempe converted his hat trick at 15:51 on the power play
after Filip Bystedt was sent off for holding. The Kings forward sent a wrist
shot toward Askarov, but Darnell Nurse's stick was perfectly positioned to
deflect it up and past Askarov for A 5-1 Kings lead.
Joel Armia tacked
on his 3rd of the season 2:12 into the 3rd period. The Kings forward was
stationed near the left post when a Haula pass came in for an easy redirect
home.
Ivar Stenberg netted his 4th goal of the season at 9:41 on a
power play opportunity after Scott Laughton was sent off for cross checking
Kiefer Sherwood. Stenberg snapped a wrist shot from the left dot, beating
Kuemper stick side.
Game Notes: * The Kings entered
play with the 3rd worst record in the NHL. They were 25th in scoring in the
league.
* Los Angeles wore their City Connect Jersey, a purple and
gold ensemble which featured their classic Kings crest.
* Artemi
Panerin recorded 4 assists in the game to push his total to 9 this season.
Quinton Byfield, Erik Haula and Erik Gustafsson all finished with 2 point
nights.
* Colin Graf was the only Shark who did not finish with a
negative plus/minus in the contest. He would add 3 shot and was 7-for-8 in
draws (88%).
* Yaroslav Askarov allowed 7 goals on just 27 shots. His
goal against average ballooned to 3.29 with hi save percentage falling to
.887
